The White King

Ten Stars. My wife's parents grew up in one of the socialist paradises, Bulgaria, and they recommend this film as the most incisive depiction of what goes on when the people hand over more and more control of the economy, and with it, education and with that, people's lives, to a government. I do want to comment on one reviewer here who said a scene was copied from George Orwell. Please read Christoper Hitchens' "Why Orwell Matters." Orwell included an actual brainwashing exercise in Lenin's socialist USSR. The white King is not copying Orwell, but rather including in the story a common enough abuse in socialist countries. See this film, and understand why the largest purveyors of violence have always been governments, and especially those claiming to be looking after the social welfare.

This follows a family living in a totalitarian dystopia.

This is a hard film for me to review.

First off, its production is very good. The camera work and direction is great. The characters are very well constructed and the acting is absolutely top notch. The world is quickly and deftly painted using iconography and suggestion. The world is oppressive but not overly brutal making it feel more real and dangerous. I enjoyed every minute of the first hour greatly and was gripped to see what was going to happen.

Here is the problem. Not much does happen. This film has plenty of story, but hardly any plot. Characters are introduced, and adversities befall our leads, but very little is resolved or explored. Any small victories the characters win aren't exploited.

The only analogy I can think of is if you made a film about a waitress who works in a bar in Star Wars. Sure dancing girls are fed to monsters and Jedi come in - but at the end of the day you are still watching someone serve drinks.

Maybe it is my personal taste, I thought I was more open minded than this, but it seems I do need a certain degree of resolution.

I kept the mark high because of the quality of the film making - not sure if I would recommend it though.

"They all will have to lose something. If not you are a traitor."

"The White King" takes place in a future society. Has there been a worldwide, destructive war? A deadly epidemic? Or did a world state succeed in shutting down global communication, after which they could conquer all the on high-tech depending countries by using conventional warfare? And after this invasion, did they install a totalitarian regime? You won't get any real answers to these questions. It looks like a hermetically sealed off camp with no luxury and limited basic needs. The regime can be called fascist. Even a sort of Hitler Youth is present. There's militaristic tradition to honor "The Homeland". The food supplies are managed according to strict rules. And apparently, each home is equipped with an intercom system where the daily production and practical information are announced. The Homeland is not a humanitarian society. It's a society where coercion, control and punishment are key words. And this under the eye of strategically placed surveillance cameras.

Djata (Lorenzo Allchurch) grows up in this commune. A continuing atmosphere of threat and oppression stands in the way of a carefree youthful life. Mischiefs are punished severely (with boxing irons). And when he tries to get a football back from some older bullies (probably sons of someone high in the military hierarchy), this turns into a violent fight rather than a kind of capture-the-flag game. In addition, his father is being arrested because of politically incorrect behavior. From then on, their live won't be made easy. Their freedom is restricted and certain necessities are taken away from them.

All this is taking place at the foot of an immense statue which can be compared (In terms of dimensions) with the Christ statue in Rio de Janeiro. But in appearance, it looks like an illustration from old Russia when Marxism ruled. This image appears to be a portrait of the dictator who created this community. However, don't expect further explanation about this. The symbolism used will obviously remind you of other past regimes. One regime stricter and more dictatorial than the other. Despite the attempts to create a teenage atmosphere with Djata searching for a treasure, him visiting his influential grandparents and a short-lived intermezzo in a futuristic-looking building outside the guarded area, the atmosphere in this movie remains gloomy and sinister. This is not a dystopian movie such as "The Hunger Games" or "Divergent" where a heroine overthrows the totalitarian regime. This is a rather cynical film about a not so unthinkable world in which human freedom is non-existent. To think that in our present world there are people who actually live in such humiliating circumstances.

The only actors who looked familiar to me, were Ross Partridge and Jonathan Pryce as Djata's father and grandfather respectively. However, their roles were rather limited (although of significance). It's mainly Lorenzo Allchurch and Agyness Deyn who deliver a brilliant performance. Allchurch's naive look at the society he's living in, is gradually being replaced by a determined attitude. It's not always high-quality, award-winning acting but admirable to play such an important role at such a young age. Deyn's part wasn't necessarily self-evident either. A caring mother who tries to protect her son and who would do everything to get her deported man back. The movie doesn't contain any magical and fascinating images full of special effects. There aren't any battle scenes with rebels trying to overthrow a regime either. The story is generally fairly superficial and vague. Certain scenes were quite unnecessary. Like the confrontation with General Meade. This was solely used to show that it all takes place in a distant future. The end is quite sudden and leaves you behind with tantalizing questions. In terms of mood the film is a success. A sober and compromising atmosphere that feels like a lifelike nightmare. A nightmare that nobody wants to experience in person.

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I saw this at the opening at EIFF For once a movie that shows us an adolescent understanding how propaganda can blind you, and standing up for himself in a believable real life scenario. No sci-fi gimmicks or ninjas here- which is a reason why it may not appeal to some people. But this is real life, and if you are 12, these are the means you have at your disposal. How propaganda and politician's lies can deceive us is very topical at the moment - in national and international politics. The narrative is at times disjointed and I was not sure if it reflected the episodic nature of the original novel or the disorientation of the child (an excellent Lorenzo Allchurch) facing the realisation his world is different from what he believes A particularly believable performance by Jonathan Pryce as the grandfather torn between duty and love.

Four stars overall, but seven stars for the idea. Four stars because dialogue was hard to follow with no subtitles; poor enunciation; really poor audio level control, and that's coming from a person w/normal hearing. Seven stars for a dystopian future storyline similar to what China, Russia, North Korea, Turkey, Syria offer the world now (and the US kind of heading that way recently). A trickle down economy in which the wealthy and/or powered privileged keep the masses in line w/slogans w/nationalist religious fervor, and the scraps to keep them sustainable day-to-day. Personal expression of your dreams, etc. are reason for sanction or imprisonment. Appropriately, filmed out of Hungary.